One of the most acclaimed pianists of his generation, Nick van Bloss has performed worldwide at leading venues and festivals. These include, in the UK, the Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Purcell Room, and Cadogan Hall, the Birmingham International Piano Festival, collaborations with the English Chamber Orchestra conducting from the keyboard, and performances in major cities throughout the UK.
He has appeared with the BBC Concert Orchestra, New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa, Kammerphilharmonie Graz, National Orchestra of Spain, Japan Sinfonia, Sinfonia Riga (Baltic tour of Beethoven Piano Concertos, conducted by Thomas Sanderling). Further recitals and concerto performances have included the Miami International Festival, the International Chopin Festival, Bunka Kaikan (Metropolitan Festival Hall) Tokyo, the International Bach Festival (Montreal), Jacqueline du Pré Hall (Oxford University), Deutchlandsburg International Festival, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Centro Cultural de Belém (Lisbon), Yale University, UCLA, Radford University (Davis Hall), the French Institute, the British Council, the Mozart Society of Japan, and the All About Piano Festival (London), in addition to concerts in Sweden, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands,
Early Life & Training
Nick van Bloss was born in London and began piano lessons at the age of 11. His musical training started as a chorister at Westminster Abbey, and he entered the Royal College of Music at 15, studying with Yonty Solomon. In 1987, the great Russian virtuoso Tatiana Nikolayeva described him as the “finished article of a pianist.” After winning multiple competitions during his studies, he continued his training with Benjamin Kaplan in London.
‘Retirement’ & Memoir
At 26, van Bloss performed at the Chopin Festival in Poland, marking his last public appearance for 15 years. During this period of near-retirement, he wrote his autobiographical memoir Busy Body (2006), which received widespread acclaim, and presented a BBC television documentary inspired by the book, exploring creativity and artistic resilience.
Comeback & Recordings
In 2008, he began recording with award-winning producer Michael Haas, starting with Bach’s monumental Goldberg Variations and including Bach’s Keyboard Concertos with the English Chamber Orchestra. In April 2009, van Bloss made a highly anticipated comeback at London’s Cadogan Hall, performing Bach and Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. The concert was met with universal critical acclaim and attracted worldwide media attention, marking a dramatic and celebrated return to the international stage.
Van Bloss’s recordings have garnered extraordinary praise: his Goldberg Variations was featured in a BBC programme presented by Sir Nicholas Kenyon comparing all recordings of the work past and present, with van Bloss’s recording being placed in the “final four” alongside Schiff, Gould, and Perahia.
His 2013 recording of Chopin’s Third Sonata and the 24 Preludes, and his 2015 recording of Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations — described as “the standard by which other recordings can be judged” — received awards including the Supersonic Award from Europe’s Pizzicato Magazine.
He was hailed by the press as a “Genius without Vanity” after his Austrian debut, and by Latvian Radio as “The Legendary British Pianist,” reflecting the international acclaim of his performances and recordings. In addition to a performing career, Nick is a powerful and inspiring public speaker.
Teaching & Mentorship
Nick van Bloss is currently International Artist in Residence at Radford University, Virginia, where he mentors students, leads individual instruction, and gives masterclasses,.
He also serves on the faculty of the Miami International Piano Festival Academy.
He regularly conducts masterclasses, most recently at the Governor’s School for the Gifted in Virginia. A respected adjudicator and examiner, he has been a regular judge of major piano competitions at the Royal College of Music, London, where he has also served as an examiner, helping to shape the next generation of leading pianists.
He has recently been appointed Artistic Director of one of the new and forthcoming Miami International Piano Festival Academies, further extending his influence in shaping international piano education.